Update: Washington County recovers additional $39K in 2016 email scam

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- The Washington County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, January 5th provided an update on the June 23, 2016 wire fraud investigation involving county funds.

The investigation centers around the County Treasurer making two wire transfers of county funds in the amounts of $48,560 and $39,200, into accounts at two different financial institutions.

The investigation revealed the County Treasurer made the transfers based on a series of emails she believed to have originated from the County Administrator. It was believed that the administrator was requesting the transfer of funds, but later determined that the administrator’s email account was “spoofed.”

An outside party, with criminal intent to steal funds, was able to send these emails to the County Treasurer using the sender email address of the Administrator.

On December 21, 2016, the Sheriff’s Office was notified that an additional $39,235.89 was recovered through another “fraud recall”.

The loss to Washington County now stands at $16,360.35.

The investigation remains open with the intent to arrest those involved and seek restitution as would be done in any criminal case.